The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-28

But got Wondered II those that saw
That pl.eous, stili young lace ~
would. when they met starving child,
Fer think OF tho tlmo and place
Where they helped 10 lift thai little form,
| with Its lrozen look OF pain
Ana thinking oil him 10 wan and white
fass hungry face again. o, II.
TABLE MOUNTAIN.
iin Maxwell Graphically Describes scenea
of Beauty and Wonder.
Special Correspondence ofthe IatelIgenotr.a
HlLDRErH, CAL, Dec. 12.-Long before
the Gun had risen was upon my way to
Table Mountain. That day was 10 be the
last Of the explorations had made, trac.
Ing that range from the north; and tor
this day l anticipated much of interest,
Table Mountain had now broken away,
as It were, from the mass OF mountains
and hills that had heretofore surrounded
It, and from thence 1t extended away to
the nouth As q high and regular ridge,
bending this way md that as 1t passed
over the rolling foothilla OF the lower
country bordering on the plains Of Tulare.
In former letter spoke at some length
Of this peculiar mountain, and stated that
along its summit Is tho channel Of a dry
river, and thus do not think 1t necessary
to repeat what | eaid before. But, there
are many thinGs connected with this nys.
ferrous mountain which one can never
conceive Of until he has seen it, and even
then be cannot cease to wonder.
80, before 1t was fully light, I was upon
my way, passing up the long, wide Canon
OF Stockton, leading from Fine Gold river
to tho very cliffs OF the Table. The
morning was clear and delightful, typ.
ical California autumn day. This canon
is great center for gold mines, and many
quartz mills are in operation there. These
mills, crushing their tons OF rock day,
run with tremendous noise, eurpassipr.
II possible, the rolling mills of Pittsburgh.
The roaring and crashing of the mills
echoed and reverberated among the hills
with endless confusion, even at that early
hour Of morning; for the mills never stop,
night nor day, nor for Sunday, nor holiday.
1t was not quiet morning in that gulch !;
but | passed on, and climbed long slope
leading up othe Table mountain; and BY
the tlme the sun was rising had reached
the base OF the cliff TINT crowns the sum.
init OF the mountain. The roaring of the
mills had died away in the distance, l
stopped there just under tho cliffs to rest,
preparatory to the last effort which would
place me on the top OF the mountain, AS
l sat there resting under the shade OF the
Gill, thought that the Landscape that lay
beneath me, stretching away to the south
snd west, wss the most beautiful OF Tia
own strange kind that I had ever seen. !
have looked upon the fairest and the wild.
est OF Americas ecenery. Some surpassed
in rugged and awful sublimity by a thou.
sand fold anything which l saw on this
occasion. And l have seen other pano.
raEaa OF gardens and parks which were
not, OF the same sort Of beauty IS thio.
But in this there was something l had
never seen before. Ii.-
The roaring Of the quartz mills had
died away in tho distance. and the still.
mesa TaB the moro impressive. This was
the first feature Of the beauty. Ten thou.
aand bills lay within the range Of my Wis.
ion. Not hills Of cliffs and rocks and
pIecipice, and rugged and terrible; bu,
gentle undulations, one beyond another
rolling away, one after another, further
and further, till they blended with the
great plains OF Central California, which
stretched to the west and south like 9
resting ocean. These hills are not GOV.
cred with forests, as In the east, but are
all as onevast meadow, the grass growing
luxuriantly to the very SUBMITS. There
are some few trees growing at random
shout over tho hills, looking like the ven,
cradle orchards In the Shenandoah VALLEY
and on tho hills Of Pennsylvania. These
tresa we're green, but the grass was moi
green. The autumn and the GUNNER had
turned it yellow. : The hills clad in this
bright yellow heritage looked like the
purest gold, and as tho rising sun broke
over them in its magnificent splendor, and
rolled its floods Of light along these golden
bills, kindling them till they outahone all
the ehrines Of the Montezumas, they
seemed like something fabulous, some.
thing Of the spirit world, and all too beau.
tiiul, too wonderful for earth. In looking
upon such n eceno at such time, the
mind seems lost in its own emotions,
One forgets that he is gazing upon por
ton Of the earth, for every impulse, every
passion Is wrought up to its fullest ten.
sion, and one almost foels that he has
broken away from the letters OF humanity
and is daahing off to mingle with the mys
teries, as the Russian poet says, "just or
the borders oil tho spirit land"
Nor, were the rolling hills, with theil
blazs Of gold, and their random trees o.
green that were like emerald gems; al
that Was in that picture. At first haG
not seen 1t all. I was too much entrancet
with what was more near to allow mysel
occasion 10 look beyond these hills. But
preeently saw that thore was almost nc
limit. These hills blended with the
plains, and the plains stretched away hun
dreds Of miles, clear as the air OF Guya
gull. A tinge Of pale blue rested on the
plain, like q carpet, and made 1t look like
distant ocean. Tho naked eye could moi
discern certainly whether It was uea OF
not; but with the aid OF glass I could sec
the vineyard, wheat fields, orchards, anc
the homes Of tho people scattered here
and there. And could Gee towns o.
which ! did not know the name, witt
many wherewith I was no stranger. II
the south was kingsburg, mere speck or
the horizon. In the north was Madern
and midway between the two WAS TIT
beautiful little city Of Fresno, which
have almost learned to call my California
home. Tho .cupolas and spires anc
minerets flashed in Its sunlight, and the
orchards around 1t were as green 40 the
Meadow OF FrezySn. SSts55, z.
There we're other villages in the north
even to the very base Of Mount Diablo
which seemed to- overhang the Colder
Cato ar San Ernn ripno naarlv fupo h,rd,ar
| milea away. From thence toward TIT
south the, long, blue lins Of the Coas
Mountains was In full view, even to tht
polonio Paso and Avernal, we'll nigh twt
hundred miles to the south. looked
with interest toward that southern desert
for 1t was that drear region Of .Ayerna
which had go nearly been fatal to m,
once, Where the drifting sand, and Ii!